Residents: Solar power plant would destroy Bedminster's rural character

Farmer Ronny Lee, shown here riding through his apple orchard in this 2009 file photo, has installed solar panels on one of his barns in East Windsor.Amanda Brown/The Star-Ledger

BEDMINSTER — More than one group of residents — including a former mayor — have joined together to try and prevent a solar power plant from being built in their town for fear of potential health and environmental impacts they say would destroy Bedminster's rural character for the benefit of a company in another town.

KDC Solar hopes to build 49,000 solar panels on Kirby Farm — located on Country Club Road, in Bedminster — to support Sanofi's U.S. corporate headquarters at 55 Corporate Drive, in Bridgewater. Sanofi's operations are located just across Route 287 from Kirby Farm.

But two groups of residents have created an online petition and separate Facebook groups in order to garner support to help block the solar plant application, which on Jan. 3 was deemed incomplete by the Bedminster Township Land Use Board.

KDC Solar seeks preliminary and major site plan approval as well as a D variance to build the solar plant on a property currently zoned residential, according to the March 7 agenda for the Bedminster Township Land Use Board.

In April 2012, KDC Solar sought input from the state Board of Public Utilities to understand whether the solar farm could be located in Bedminster across Route 287 from the Sanofi property in Bridgewater and still be considered an "on-site generation facility" under the Solar Energy Advancement and Fair Competition Act.

"An on-site generation facility shall not be considered a public utility," according to the act. "The property of the end use customer and the property on which the on-site generation facility is located shall be considered contiguous if they are geographically located next to each other, but may be otherwise separated by an easement, public thoroughfare, transportation or utility-owned right-of-way"

KDC Solar, through its wholly owned subsidiary KDC Solar SA55 LLC, would construct and operate the 55-acre KDC/Sanofi Solar Facility on Country Club Road, in Bedminster, according to BPU documents.

Steve Frantz, a Bedminster resident who also signed the alliance's petition, said he lives in the neighborhood next to the proposed solar power plant location.

"I am concerned about the environmental impacts caused by a power plant located so close to my home," he said. "I have an 11-month-old son, and I wonder how the changes to the farm will affect my well and my property."

Many residents who signed the petition also said they would rather see Sanofi build its solar farm on its property in Bridgewater, since Bedminster will not benefit from any of the savings from the plant.

He also referenced various projects brought before the town committee that were previously blocked because of community input regarding preserving Bedminster's quality of life.

"I encourage everyone who enjoys the great quality of life that Bedminster offers — much of it due to our farmlands and open spaces — to attend public meetings on this topic and ask questions," he wrote.

"Only put the solar panels in that field if the energy gathered from it is to power buildings throughout the town," wrote Brian DeWar, on the group's Facebook page. "If all this land is to be occupied by solar panels just for Sanofi, then I say it's a waste of that space, and Sanofi should use their fairly large parking lot to put solar panels."

Todd Baumann, a Bridgewater resident, asked why residents should support a plan when Sanofi recently moved employees from Bridgewater to Massachusetts, and "there is no guarantee that they (won't) move all of the operations out of New Jersey in 5-10 years."

Jack Cox, head of media relations for Sanofi's North America operations, said Wednesday afternoon that it was his understanding that "KDC Solar has resubmitted a site plan application package to the Township of Bedminster, and there should be ample opportunity for discussions on the project, including why KDC selected this specific site."

Cox said Sanofi looks forward to hearing from members of the community and participating "in dialogue on the most appropriate course for this project."

KDC Solar has not yet responded to requests for comment made Wednesday afternoon.